Catalyst



Patented Nov. 3, 1931 PLOITTATION nnBREvETs Anemia, or BASEL, SWITZERLAND Eur m PAUL'ASKENASY, or gnatsnunn, AND osxii ninmmeonnniam Germanic, As sienonsfiro THE rmmiwrnn'rvnnwnmrumis'K. e. warmers; A. some max n'nirawmg. Application filed December 6, 1928,,Seria1No.324,316, anti in Great Britain December 711991;

Our invention relates to catalytic or contact materials and processes, more particularly to materials andprocesses of this kind for the synthesisiof ammonia,-but which can also be used in connection with other chemical reactions.- I I The 1nvent1on consists in a catalytlc or contact material and processforthe synthesis of ammonia which material and process are particularly'suitable for effecting the combination of hydrogen and nitrogen to form am- 'mon-ia at low pressures andtemperatures;

" The catalytic or contact material consists of double c'ompoundsfof iron with cyanogen and alkalisalkaline earthsor the rare earths together with zirconium oxide and/or other zirconium compounds; The constituentsiof' the catalytic or contact material are mixed and formed- -that; is tosay, they are subjectit tion 'intoeffect is set for-thin thefollowing eir -j ample:

A solution of 1 parts of potassium ferrocyanide inAO parts of water is poured into a solution of -partsof zirconium oxychloride in parts of water. The precipitate which is formed maybe disregarded and the mixture inclusive of the precipitate maybe allowedjtostand for some time and evaporated I to dryness; or, alternatively,'the precipitate may be filtered off and dried; The drying operation is, in either case, preferably car-V 7 fried out at'tempera-tures not exceeding C. During the drying operation the product diminishes in bulk andbecomes discol- 1 oured. It is then ground to a'more or less fine like is driven ofi'; it is then heated gradually up to about 400 C. in a stream of hydrogen andnitrogen atatmospheric pressure, where upon the-pressure 'of the stream of gases is gradually'increased up to about 90 atmos- PATENTS ExrnoITA'rIo oY. Magma"? mm,

m mratureismaintainediat about yieldofflfiper cent; volume ofammom'a Wit'li'a velbcity of fi'ow 0E 2 3" cubic metres ofgas per,h our,(measured under normal coni di tions) per; kilogram of the dry, catalytic agent. It is, hewe'ver,. also possible to obtain air gr-eater yield of ammonia! than this,

andto' obtainiitiin a higher degree of concentratiom zirconium giyesexcellent yields even ativery moderate pressures and temperatures so that 'str'u'ctipnallmznferial fbr thecatalyzati on appara-his. i desired, alkali salts, saltsaofi a1- kaline earths or; sa'l'ts of'the rare earths and soluble ordi'flicultl'yffl ilble' i'rqn. compounds may begadded to the startingmateri'all 'FlIIfthermore, as already stated, inv place" of zi'iicity chloride, other. zirconium salts, for nstancezircomum chloride, may be em- P' Y Q -o. o o v IIt is notinecessary,., however, to prepare the zirconiumyoxide or'the at; the. same tiinei'a's the other constituents of the catalytic material, as indicated. in the. example; Instead'iof .ftlii s'tlie Zirconium oxide or the like may be prepared independently and. after;

wardfs'mi'xed wan the otlie'r constituents. of

the catalytic material, or, again, zirconium ox de derived from a catalytic agent which powder and is heated in a stream of hydrohas already been used m the Synthetic pro. gen or of'amixture of hydrogen and nitrogen at temperatures gradually increasing up i to about C. at atmospheric pressure for a considerable time, whereby water and the ducfiimr of ammonia, maybe empfoyed'" after the l'atterhasbe'en entirely oralmosfientirely freed from-its other: constituents; preferably 15y "gentle means; such as, ferexample; treatment] with chlorine, chlorine water, weal? acids; iron; chloride er, the-like.

, Various cliangesmaybe'-made in the details 4 disclosed in the foregoing specification without departing from the invention or sacrificing the advantages thereof.

In the claims aflixed' to this specification no selection of any particular modification of the invention is intended to the exclusion of other modifications thereof and the right to subsequently make claim to any modifica tion not covered by th a e p s y reserved. r i. i y

We claim 19 1. Catalytically active material comprising V p a combination of zirconium with potassium v iferrocyanide. r

2.- Catalytically active material comprising a combination of zirconium with a doubley; compound of iron, cyanogen and an alkali metal.

with potassium ferrocyanide.

gatalytically active material comprising a combination of'a' ZlICOIliIlIIl' comp 4. The process of producing a catalytically active materiatcomprising heating a mixture V V of potassium ferrocyan de anda zirconium f compound ina gasi' mixture containing 'hyg drogen ,qraduallyto about400 (lunder atmospheric pressureand thereafterincreasing the pressure while maintaining the temperature at about 400 P5. "The process ofproducingfcatalytically active material as claimed'in claim 1. com- I containing hydrogen firstgraduaily to about prisinqheating a r'ni ztureof a double compound of lronj, cyanogen and analkali; metal w1th azn'conium compound in a pas mixture 140 0;; thereafter te abmimooa vG. atat- V inosnhericpressure. and thereuponincreasing the nressure gradualhf upj to a pressure approaching 100 atmosnhere's wb ie main- I taininr'ra tevnn eratur'e' of about400 C. V

Q6. The process ofproducing catalytically active material as claimed infcla m 1. com i I i prisingheating'ajmixture of'potassinm ferrocyanide and, a zirconium compound in a gas mixture containinghvdro en' graduaflv to abo t 140 (1,; thereafter to about 400 C.

at atmospheric pressure; and thereupon increasing the pressure radually up toi a bresa sure annroaching-IOO atmospheres whi e A maintaining a temnerature of about 400 C. 7 The process of producino a catalvticaliy active material comnrisinqaddinga solution of potassium ferrocvanide to a solution of LZIICOTHIHI'H: oxvchloride, drving' the preci'oit tate formed. heat ng same in a. gas mixture containing hvdroa'en graduaiivfirst at"atmosnheric nressure to about140-Q andthen d to abont40 0 G.;and.final1v increasing the pressure to about 90 atms. while maintaining I the -temperature at about 400 C.

In testimony whereof we aflix ouri'signa r v Q tures.

m. :PAUT, AsvuuAs'Y; OSKAR MERKEL.

"if"? I 1,829,848

ound c 

